Thermoelectric conversion elements include thermoelectric generating elements, which generate electricity using heat, and Peltier elements, which transfer heat using electricity. The basic structures of the thermoelectric generating elements and Peltier elements are the same. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a thermoelectric conversion element.
A thermoelectric conversion element 100 has a structure in which a plurality of p-type semiconductor blocks 101 and a plurality of n-type semiconductor blocks 102 are held between two heat transfer plates 104a and 104b. The p-type semiconductor blocks 101 and the n-type semiconductor blocks 102 are alternately arranged and connected to each other in series by conductors 103 provided between the heat transfer plate 104a and the semiconductor blocks 101 and 102, and also between the heat transfer plate 104b and the semiconductor blocks 101 and 102. In addition, electrodes 106a and 106b are provided respectively at both edges of an aggregate of the p-type semiconductor blocks 101 and the n-type semiconductor blocks 102 connected in series.
When a current is caused to flow through the p-type semiconductor blocks 101 and the n-type semiconductor blocks 102 by connecting the electrodes 106a and 106b to a power supply, heat is transferred from the heat transfer plate 104a on one side to the heat transfer plate 104b on the other side by the Peltier effect. Meanwhile, when a temperature difference is generated between the two heat transfer plates 104a and 104b, a potential difference occurs between the p-type semiconductor blocks 101 and the n-type semiconductor blocks 102 by the Seebeck effect, and the current is extracted from the electrodes 106a and 106b.     Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-217469    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-189497    Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-165273
In recent years, various electronic devices have been required to achieve a reduction in size and an improvement in performance. Thus, thermoelectric conversion elements to be mounted in these electronic devices have also been required to be further reduced in size and highly integrated.